New Orleans, LA - Tue 4/3

Today was a short ride to New Orleans, although heavy traffic made it hard to converse.  Scenery for the past hundred miles has been mostly swamp.  Saw lots of dead turtles, frogs, and snakes but no alligators.  There were also hundreds of strings of Mardi Gras beads on the roadside along the way.

We rode through the Garden District on the way to our Bed and Breakfast and saw many magnificent homes.  Then we took the streetcar to the French District.  We strolled down Bourbon Street and Royal Street and made our way to the French Market.  We tried alligator jerky and had some gumbo and saw various street musicians.  There was a long line of horse drawn carriages waiting for tourists at Jackson Park.  Finally, we made our way back to our Bed and Breakfast and walked around the Garden District a bit more.  It was a long day with a lot of adventure.  Tomorrow we move on down the coast.

Miles: 33.0  Average: 11.3

Photos:
Swamp
House in Garden District
Waiting for streetcar
Andrew Jackson statue and the St. Louis Cathedral
French open air market
Hillbilly band

I'm getting used to riding in humid weather in the 80's.  Just plan on being wet with sweat all day.  I'm now wearing just one set of bike clothing and washing it out each night.  I mailed some of my warm items home.
New Orleans was different than I expected.  The French Quarter reminds me of the Latin Quarter in Paris where Jeff and I stayed a few years ago.  The Garden District where we are staying has the beautiful stately homes I expected.
The streetcar is the oldest in the country, with wooden seats.  It runs down the center of the street, and has been running for 150 years.
The restaurant we ate in in the French Quarter was called the Pere Antoine.  We sat at a table near the street with wide open windows, just a few feet away from tourists walking by.  That really reminded me of Paris.